The First Time
by milner
Summary: Meet-cute prompts. A bunch of one shots done for fun on the different ways Tris and Tobias could possibly meet in the modern day. To be updated in between stories.
1. Hockey

It's not often Tris gets to go to a hockey game. Between school and work and the ticket prices, it never seems to work out in her favor. But a co-worker won a pair of tickets to tonights game, and offered to take her with him. Al knew how much she loved the Blackhawks, and she was beyond ecstatic that he thought of her first.

"Want a beer?" he asks as soon as they sit down. She takes a moment to survey her surroundings —they weren't the best seats, but they were free— and decides that she'd rather have this experience whole.  
"No thanks." He smiles at her and takes off to get one for himself.

While waiting for the lights to dim and the music to start, she looks at everyone who is seated around her: a couple of guys in jerseys behind her, a family who is patiently trying to explain what's about to happen to their little boy in front, and a man in a nice business suit a couple seats to her left. She lingers on him for just a moment, and briefly wonders if they have met before. There's something that is all too familiar about him. She also notes that he's quite attractive. When she catches his eye, they exchange a small smile, and she continues to survey her surroundings, a small blush on her cheeks.

"Woo!" she cheers with the rest of the crowd when the lights dim, and waves at Al who is just making his way back. He sets his beer down and they clap as the music begins and the players make their way onto the ice.

"Thank you, again, for bringing me," she says as they sit back down.  
"Well, I know how much you love it."  
"I do love a good game." Al smiles, and it causes Tris to break out into a wide grin, too.

"Okay. So I'm not as familiar with all of this as you are, so you're gonna have to help me out here," Al says.  
"No problem," she responds. "Ask away and I shall answer." A noise causes her to look quickly to her left. The man in the suit is looking at her, a full grin on his face now. She furrows her brow for a second before turning her focus back to the ice, a sour thought in her head that he was laughing at her.

The first period is very uneventful —no fights even— and the score is zero to zero. Of course, the one game she can attend would be boring. During the intermission they make their way down to the concession stand where Al grabs another beer and Tris grabs a popcorn and a water. On their way back to their seats she notices the man in the suit is no longer alone— another man in an equally nice suit has joined him. This man too looks familiar, but she can't quite place either one of them.

Not even two minutes have passed in the second period when the other team slams a Blackhawk player into the boards. The crowd boos as the player lays on the ice, booing even louder when the referee's don't call a penalty.

"Oh come on!" she yells. "That's boarding!"  
"What's boarding?" Al asks.  
"It's when a player pushes another into the glass unnecessarily rough. It's usually a five minute penalty, but now these ref's just fucked us out of that power play opportunity."

"It would have only been a minor," she hears from beside her, and turns her head to see both men looking at her.  
"A minor?" she challenges, "He was nearly knocked out!"  
"Yeah, but he wasn't bleeding." She eyes the two men for a second before giving them a curt nod and turning her focus back to the game.  
"What's his problem?" Al asks quietly, and she just shakes her head.

By the end of the second period, the Blackhawks are losing by three.

"Sorry," Al says as they watch the zamboni make it's rounds.  
"For what?"  
"For the game being a crappy one." He offers her a smile, and she smiles back.  
"You had no way of knowing, Al, so don't apologize. I'm still very happy to be here."

After another goal is scored, the Blackhawks seem to forget about playing to win, and start playing for revenge. The first instance comes in a small skirmish that results in minor penalties for both teams. As soon as those are over, another skirmish breaks out, this time turning into an all out brawl.

"Yeah! Kick some ass!" Tris yells, standing and cheering as helmets and gloves and sticks go flying. Al looks a little taken aback by this sudden outburst from her.  
"You like the fights?" he asks.  
"Like? Are you kidding? It's the best part!" She cheers again as the Blackhawk player finally gets the upper-hand and takes his opponent down.

"It's a shame Eaton isn't playing tonight." Tris turns to her left to see the second man staring up at her. She decides to take the bait.  
"And why is that?"  
"He would have had that guy knocked out in half the time. Williams isn't as good as Eaton is."

Tris scoffs. "Williams might not be as good, but at least he's not an asshole like Eaton. Have you ever seen how he fights? I mean, I'm all for getting down and dirty, but there's still a line, and he crosses it every time. It's like he gets off on it," she says, making a jerking motion with her hand. "There's a reason the other teams chant 'four no more!' when he takes the ice." The two men share a look and a smile. "What? You disagree?"

"Well,_ I_ disagree," the first man says. "But it's nice to know your opinion anyways." Tris scrunches her eyebrows and turns her attention back to the two players that are now being ejected from the game.

The game finally ends, with Chicago losing five to one. Tris sighs as she and Al pick up their things to toss on their way out. She notices an odd look on Al's face, and turns around to see the first man standing right behind her.

"Is is a habit of yours to hover behind people?" she asks, craning her neck. She hadn't realized just how tall he was as they sat there. Or how blue his eyes were.  
"Just ones I find interesting." Tris narrows her eyes as he sticks out his hand. "I thought we should properly meet. I'm Tobias Eaton, number four. You know, 'that guys who gets off on it'."

Tris blushes furiously, fumbling for a second as she puts her small hand into his large one. "Tris," she says. "And I'm…_really_ sorry about that. If I had known…"  
"If you had known you'd have kept it to yourself? Now where's the fun in that?" He smiles so wide, she thinks he must be fucking with her.

"Okaay. This is sufficiently awkward. I'm going to go now," she says, finally removing her hand from his. She doesn't know why, but she feels like she's missing something without his hand around hers.

"Wait," Tobias says. "This is Eric Monroe, number twenty-two."  
"Hello," she says. He returns her greeting with a wave.  
"We're gonna go out with the guys and get a beer. Would you like to join us?"

Her heart races a bit. She's very intrigued by this man in front of her, but she came here with Al, and it would be insanely rude of her to just ditch him.

"You're boyfriend can come too," Eric adds.  
"Oh he's not my boyfriend," she says entirely too fast. The smile that breaks out across Tobias' face makes her blush again. He leans down so only she can hear him; she holds her breath as he speaks.  
"That's good to know." A wave of goosebumps erupts where his breath meets her skin. She looks up at him through her eyelashes, feeling very shy all of a sudden. As he walks away, she has the urge to call out to him.

"If you change your mind, we'll be at Mulligan's over on Fifth street." He gives her a half-cocked smile that makes her insides flare with curiosity. It isn't until they are out of sight that she remembers Al is even here with her.

"Sorry," she says. "I just…that was weird, right?"  
"Yeah. Guy seems like a creep."  
"Well, I don't know about _that_."  
"Did you want to go? Cuz we can if you want to."  
"No, no. Let's just go."

As they walk through the concourse, she secretly hopes she will run into him. If he were to ask her again, she would definitely say yes.

* * *

She saved and saved for a single ticket. It took her almost a month to set enough aside; she wasn't going for the cheap ticket this time. She wanted to be right where he could see her, and if there was something there, if he recognized her, she would take it as a sign.

It took some hard decision making, but when she bought her ticket, she decided that directly across from the players bench was where she needed to be. She silently prays that he'll be playing tonight, since he's fresh off a five game suspension. She puts on some light makeup, dons her jersey, and makes her way to the stadium.

The lights dim, the music starts, and she holds her breath as the players make their way out onto the ice; she smiles when she sees him in uniform. This is going to be a good night.

She doesn't pay much attention to the game, just to the boy with the deep blue eyes and the number four on his back. He doesn't get much ice time —which is normal— but when he does, she finds herself watching his every move. She calculates the hits like he does, and cheers him on when he does his job as enforcer and takes down someone from the other team.

Two periods have already passed, and nothing has happened; he's hardly glanced up into the stands. Perhaps this was a bad idea and she should have gotten a ticket closer to the bench. That way she could have at least yelled over the glass at him.

He makes his way onto the ice again, and she watches as he does what he always does— blocks the other teams offense from making a goal. What neither one of them expected was for the play to shift quickly to the other end of the ice, the puck finding it's way in front of his stick. With a flick of his wrist it bounces off a skate, earning him a goal.

She jumps up from her seat, screaming with the rest of the crowd as number four looks on in shock. It wasn't his job to score, and she can see the surprise that's written all over his face. His teammates congratulate him, and for the first time all night, he looks up into the crowd — right into her storm gray eyes.

She locks eyes with him, and it's like the rest of the arena fades away. He has that half-cocked smile on his face as gloves tap his helmet, but he doesn't seem to notice or care. After he makes his way back to the bench, he doesn't take his eyes off of her for the rest of the night. She doesn't look away either.

After the game he strides onto the ice, over to the glass where she is waiting to make her way down to him. A few kids pound on the glass, and he responds by pretending to hit them. She smiles because she can tell by their laughs that it made their night.

When the crowd finally thins out enough, she make her way down and gives him a big smile.

"Mulligan's?" he yells to her, and she nods. "Thirty minutes," he yells again, taking off his glove and holding up three fingers. She nods again and watches him leave the ice.

Her heart pounds a nervous beat as she mills around outside the bar. She notices Eric first, and he gives her a knowing smile.  
"Couldn't resist ol' number four, eh?" he says, winking as he walks past her. She has to resist kicking him.

"Hey." She turns around to see Tobias, a wide grin on his face.  
"Hi," she says quietly. He looks at her for a moment before gesturing towards the door. When they are seated with the rest of the team members that are out celebrating their win, he leans in close to her.

"I have to ask. How come you didn't recognize me?"  
"What do you mean?"  
"Well, it's not like you don't know your shit. I was just curious." She looks up into his eyes, and he smiles again. She's pretty sure her ovaries are begging her to reproduce with this man.

"Don't take this the wrong way, but you look like a caveman out there on the ice. Sweaty. Black mouth guard. Black eyes. Broken noses. You're just…whole right now. I expected missing teeth or something. Also you look very nice in a suit, which totally threw me off."  
"I look nice?" he asks, and she feels herself blush as she nods. "Well," he says, leaning in even closer, "If you ask me, I think you look nice in that jersey." She is definitely red now.  
"Thank you."

They have a beer and talk hockey or whatever other topic comes up within the group. She can feel his eyes on her the entire time, and even caught a few of the other guys looking back and forth between them. Eric even winked at her once and gestured towards Tobias, as if she couldn't feel his stare penetrating her to her very core.

"It's getting late," she says after a while. "I had a long day."  
"Okay," Tobias says, standing. He holds out a hand and she takes it. She is not prepared for the electricity she feels, and if Tobias' face is any indication, neither is he.

He walks her to her car, and she stalls, trying to find her keys and thinking of something witty to say. She's enjoyed her evening and Tobias' company, and despite what she said, isn't quite ready for any of it to end.

"I'm really glad you came, and we got to do this," he says.  
"Me too."  
"Could we…maybe see each other again?" There's a hint of doubt in his voice; it's absolutely adorable.  
"I would like that," she says, smiling.  
"Even if I'm that guy who 'get's off on it'?" She groans and covers her face with one hand.

"You're never going to let me live that down, are you?"  
"Not a chance," he says, grinning. He steps closer now; close enough to feel the heat radiating off of him.

She looks up, unsure of what to expect. His face is serious as he looks down into her eyes— her own dart between his that look black now in this light. He licks his lips; she suddenly wants nothing more than to feel them against her own.

Being bolder than she ever has, she stands on the tip of her toes and presses her lips to his. His arms wrap around her instantly and hers go up around his neck, fingers threading into the hair near the back of his neck. She lets out a soft sigh when he pulls away.

"Shit," he says through heavy breaths, and she laughs. "I mean…that was…yeah." He smiles, a pink tint cropping up on his cheeks, visible even in the low light.  
"I agree."

She takes out her phone and hands it to him. They exchange numbers and another fiery kiss before she finally opens her car door.

"Hey, Tris?" he says just before she closes it.  
"Yeah?"  
"I'm really glad I met you."  
"I'm really glad I met you too, Tobias."


	2. Marshmallow

Saturdays were always her favorite.

Tris would wake early and go for a jog around her neighborhood. She would take in all the sights and the sounds, and nod to her neighbors as she passed them. She always felt like it was her time to just be one with Mother Nature.

She would enjoy a long, hot shower then take her dog, Bruno, out with her while she picked up breakfast — a bagel and an iced coffee from the shop on the corner. There was a pet store a few doors down called Smarty Pets, and if Bruno was good, she'd let him pick out a treat before their trek to the dog park.

She loves that dog.

He was a rescue. She wasn't even thinking about adopting a dog, but when she happened upon the Chicago Pet Rescue Foundation page, she fell in love with his adorable face.

Most people are wary of him, but she always thought pit bulls got a bad rap. As a former fighting dog, he was extensively rehabilitated, and is now the biggest baby on the planet. He sleeps at her feet every night, and is patient and friendly with everyone, other dogs included.

"Good boy," she says, patting his head as she takes her last bite. He watches her toss her trash, and wags his tail when she starts to come back. It's probably the only thing on him that could be considered dangerous.

She lets him choose between a peanut butter flavored dog cookie, or a chicken one in the pet store. He sniffs each one and puts his paw over the peanut butter one.  
"Great choice," she says as she hands it to him. He takes it gently, but wolfs it down once she's taken her hand away.

They walk the few blocks to the dog park, both enjoying the warm, spring breeze. There are two other dogs at the park when they show up. She's mindful of the owners looks when they see Bruno, and lets them know that he is a big baby before letting him go.

He runs around, sniffing at a couple dandelions before making his way to the golden retriever. They chase each other around, and Tris loves that he's happy. It makes her happy.

She hears the gate creak, and turns to see someone else coming in. A very tall man…with a tiny chihuahua? She smirks as he makes his way in, making sure the gate is closed tight behind him. She turns her attention back to Bruno, but finds it hard to watch him with the guy standing next to her talking to his dog.

She can't quite make out what he's saying, but he's holding the dog close, petting it and whispering the whole time. She catches his eye, and he looks up. For a second, she's caught off guard by how blue his eyes are. She snaps out of it though, and blurts the first thing that comes to mind.

"So, a chihuahua?" She eyes him up and down, challenging him as if to say, _that's not a real dog_. It's a horrible trait she picked up from her ex. One she immediately regrets letting out when she sees the look on the man's face.  
"Yeah. It was a rescue." The satisfied smile she had on her face disappears, and she _really_ feels like a jerk. It's probably the poor thing's first trip out. She looks to Bruno, who is enjoying himself still with the retriever.

"Sorry," she mutters. "I have a rescue too. Want to meet him?"  
"No thanks," he says, his voice deep and stern.

He glances down at her with a look that sends a shiver straight down her spine, and she wants to disappear. He mutters again to the dog before throwing one last look her way, and leaving. Tris has never felt like a bigger ass.

She picks up a small treat to take with her the next Saturday as an apology, but he isn't there. Probably would never come back, thanks to her. But she keeps it up, bringing an extra treat with her three weeks in a row until he finally shows back up.

He hesitates at the fence when he sees her, but she gives him a soft smile from the bench she's sitting on. He comes in and walks straight to the opposite side, just to be far away from her. He sets the little dog down, and she watches as the poor thing shakes like a leaf.

She can tell he's trying, but he's frustrated. The little dog just hides behind his long legs when he stands up. She sees him sigh, and decides to take a chance.

"I have a treat for him, if you want it," she offers as she walks up.  
"_Her_," he corrects, his tone exactly the same as she remembered it.  
"Her, sorry. I bought it from Smarty Pets this morning. It's peanut butter. The same one my Bruno picked."

She smiles when he looks over, hoping to see one in return, but all she receives is a scowl. She holds her hand out anyways. He looks between Tris and the dog, and gives a small nod.

"Hey," she says as she kneels down. She clicks her tongue a couple of times, but the dog ignores her. "What's her name?"  
"Marshmallow." Tris fails at muffling her snort, and looks up apologetically. "I tried to change it, but she won't respond to anything else."  
"Marshmallow," Tris coos at the little white dog, and she lifts her ears. "Here, girl. Come have a treat."

The dog sniffs the air and inches forward slowly. Tris holds her hand still as Marshmallow licks at the treat first, then takes it from her. She looks up at her owner, who has a big smile of his own.

"She's never done…_anything_ like that. She even hated the people at the rescue," he says, a little laugh escaping. "I just happened to be walking by when I saw this little white blur run out of the building and head straight for me. I bent down, and she jumped right in my arms. The people who ran the rescue were amazed, and begged me to adopt her. She only likes me."

Tris reaches out and gives her a pat on the head. Marshmallow looks up and gives her a tiny lick before taking her spot back behind her owner's legs. She smiles that this tiny little scaredy cat seems to like her too.

"I'm Tobias," she hears, and looks up to see a smile plastered across his face. She can't help but return it.  
"Tris," she says, standing. She holds out her hand, and he shakes it once.

"So, which one of these beasts is yours?" he asks as he bends down and picks up Marshmallow.  
"Bruno!" she calls out. The black and gray dog stops what he's doing and looks at her. "Come boy!" She pats her leg, and he takes off at full speed, skidding to a stop right next to her.

"Tobias, this is Bruno, my rescue."  
"This one?" he says, raising an eyebrow and pulling Marshmallow a little closer to him.  
"Yep. He's a big baby, I promise. Bruno. Want to meet a friend?" Bruno wags his tail and gives a little whine. "Okay. Sit." Bruno promptly sits and looks up at the two of them.

Tobias looks between her and the dog a few times. She smiles, and gives him an encouraging nod. He crouches down, and loosens his grip a little on Marshmallow.

Bruno leans forward, smelling both of them. Marshmallow sniffs back, and Tris can see that Bruno is anxious to play.

"Put her down."  
"What? No way. She's like a snack for him."  
"Do you really think I'd bring my dog here if he was going to eat other dogs? He's not a cannibal." Tobias lets out a little chuckle, and nods his head.  
"Okay. Fair point," he concedes.

He gives Marshmallow a little kiss on top of her head, and sets her down. Tris swears her heart thumps a little at the sight. She takes a deep breath and tells herself _not now_. She hasn't been single that long, and she was finally enjoying being _just_ Tris.

She watches as the two dogs sniff each other again, and Marshmallow takes a few steps away from Tobias. Instead of playing, Bruno lays down, and not for the first time, Tris wonders if he could be a therapy dog. He always seems to know just what to do. Marshmallow takes a few more tentative steps, and to everyone's surprise, curls up right next to Bruno. Tris smiles, and looks up to see an even wider smile on Tobias' face.

"Well, I think I would call that a success," she says. Tobias nods his head, unable to take his eyes off his little dog curled up next to her humongous one.  
"We should get together every Saturday," he says. She knows what he meant, but it doesn't stop the heat she can feel in her cheeks. He must realize how it sounded too, because he reaches up and scratches the back of his neck. "I uhh. I just meant…"  
"I know what you were trying to say," she says, chuckling, "And I think that is a _great_ idea."

Saturdays were always her favorite.

They were always about just Tris. But she knew, deep down, they were about to become so much more.

**A/N:**

**Holy cow you guys! Just, thank you so much for all the support. I've been grinning like a goofball the past couple days because of all of you.**

**And thanks to Bamnc24 and Enj412 for this idea.**


	3. Blank Space

I hate going to the store this early in the morning.

All the happy, peppy people are out, fresh off their yoga class, or in track suits from their speed-walk at the park, or dragging their screaming kids with them the entire time. They try to infect everyone within a twelve foot radius with their smiles, then proceed to look at you as if _you're_ the weird one when you don't smile back.

I don't know you, and I don't owe you a fucking smile.

Normally I come an hour before closing when the store is virtually empty, get my shit, and get out. But in an insane fit of niceness, I agreed to switch shifts with Peter and now I work late tonight. I would have put off the shopping until tomorrow, but it's my turn to buy and I'm tired of listening to Zeke whine about how there's nothing to eat.

So here I am.

I toss whatever looks semi-appealing into the cart and try my best to stay the fuck out of everyone's way. It seems to be a losing battle though around every corner and down every crowded aisle. My absolute favorite is when people just leave their cart in the middle of the aisle and walk away. Nothing like a good round of bumper carts to vent out a little frustration. As I dodge a little girl running down the aisle with a box of Pop Tarts, I smack into yet another cart.

"Oh! Sorry! Let me just move a little." I look over to the chipper voice and see a tiny blonde grinning widely at me.

"It's fine," I mutter, and push past her without returning her smile. I'd be lying if I said I didn't feel like smiling back for a split second. I turn around and watch her ponytail swing as she bounces down the aisle, only briefly letting my eyes fall to her ass that happens to look very nice in those yoga pants.

Jesus Christ I'm being creepy. I shake my head and decide to keep my eyes on the cart.

Each aisle I turn down though there's a brief moment where I look for that tiny blonde. I should have apologized, since I was the one who ran into her. I _want_ to apologize, but I finish this god awful trip without a single hint of her and pick what I hope is the least threatening line.

Why the fuck does everyone come to the store at the same time? Christ…

I stare at the magazines because there's nothing better to do. _Lose ten pounds in ten days!_ Nope. _Is Joe cheating on Bonnie?_ Who the fuck cares? _Proof that Michael Jackson is really a zombie!_ Well now… _No_. I shake my head and stare off instead.

At first it doesn't register, but as I'm slowly drawn out of my own zombie trance, I hear singing.

"All the lonely Starbucks lovers, they'll tell you I'm insane. But I've got a blank space baby, and I'll write your name."

You have _got_ to be fucking kidding me. I don't give a shit about that song, and even _I_ know those are the wrong lyrics. I'm actually gritting my teeth, listening to whoever is behind me repeat the same wrong thing over and over.

"Those _aren't_ the lyrics," I growl out. The person stops singing, and the lady in front of me shoots me a look. Fan-fucking-tastic. Now I feel like an asshole. Why do I even give a fuck if they're singing it wrong? I turn to apologize, but I can't find any words as I stare down at the tiny blonde.

"Who pissed in your cheerios?" she asks, a hard look on her face as she stares up at me.

"I…no one," I stammer out. She raises an eyebrow at me. "It's just…everything's irritating in here, and then listening to you sing the wrong words just added to that. I…I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said anything."

She continues to stare at me, and I slowly start to register the other people who have heard our exchange who are staring too. _Fuck_. I should apologize more.

"Okay then, lyrics guru. Correct me," she says before I can apologize again.

"_What_?"

"If it's so _irritating_ listening to me sing the wrong words, tell me what they are so I won't _irritate_ you anymore."

I stand there, mouth open, feeling like a complete idiot. A grin creeps across her face, and I wonder if that was her whole goal. But now it feels like a battle, and I'll be damned if I let her win.

"It's 'got a long list of ex-lovers', not Starbucks."

"I bet," she says under her breath. I shake my head.

"Look, I'm sorry I snapped at you, but that was low."

"Oh, sorry. I'm just a little _irritated_."

I throw my hands up and huff, exasperated by this woman already. It's finally my turn to put my things on the conveyor belt, so I do, slamming the items down one by one. God _damn_ could this guy be any slower?

I try to ignore her stares as the cashier scans my items, but it's proving to be difficult. I can actually _feel_ the heat from her stare, burning into my skin. I swipe my card to pay and give her one last look. I'm a little surprised to find her eyes soft as they stare up into mine.

"Have a nice day," she says.

I'm putting the last bag in my trunk when I feel a burning sensation on the back of my neck. I sigh and turn to see her standing there.

"I'm sorry," she says. "I was being a bit of an ass too. I shouldn't have made a scene."

"It's fine," I say, waving my hand. I slam my trunk and walk my cart to the return. She's still standing there when I get back.

"Bad day?" she asks, a little smile on her face.

"Not really. It's just, you know, people."

"Yeah. They can be really _irritating_." She smiles widely and I roll my eyes. "Can…can I at least make it up to you?" There is no way this is happening. I raise an eyebrow and look around for a camera crew, or even worse, Zeke. Only he would be crazy enough to pull something like this just to get a laugh.

"Okay… Make _what_ up?" I ask.

"Shit," she mutters, putting a hand on her forehead. She lets out a little laugh as she turns in a small circle. "I'm sorry. I'm _really_ bad at this." Is…is she saying what I _think_ she's saying? My neck gets hot again, as well as my ears and cheeks. But at least I'm not the only one. Her cheeks are bright red as she pulls her hand away.

"I'm Tris," she says, sticking her hand out towards me.

"Tobias," I say, taking her hand. She shakes it firmer than I expected, but that's not what makes me want to keep holding on.

"Tobias, would you maybe like to get a cup of coffee or something? I promise I won't sing." Her eyes are bright and her smile is infectious. I feel one side of my face lift, then the other. This is turning out to be one hell of a day.

"Yeah," I say. "I would like that."

**A/N:**  
**You guys are nuts! Thank you for all the reviews and follows. You're all amazing!**

**And I know a lot of you keep asking for these to be longer stories. I appreciate that you like them so much, but this is all they were ever intended to be! Besides, I've already "gotten them together", so to speak. Half the fun of stories like these is getting them there, so there wouldn't be a whole lot of story left to tell! **

**The song Tris was singing is Blank Space by Taylor Swift. **


	4. Two Peas in a Pod

He blinked his eyes a few times, the light causing an instant headache. His surroundings were unfamiliar, and it took him a good two minutes to realize that there was even another person in the bed with him.

Oh. _Right_.

He looked over at the girl, her long black hair fanned out across her bare back, and silently cursed himself. This wasn't normal territory for him. In fact, he'd only done this once before, in college and at Zeke's insistence. He regretted that as much as he was sure he'd regret this too.

She moved ever so slightly and he closed his eyes, pretending to still be asleep. When no more movement came, he took a chance and cracked an eye. Luck was on his side; she simply moved so she was facing even further away from him.

He lifted his head slightly and tried to take inventory of his things: shoes by the door, shirt on the chair, and pants hanging off the edge of the bed somehow. Perfect.

Moving as slow as humanly possible, he slinked out of the foreign bed and quietly gathered his things. The familiar feeling in his dick left no doubt that they'd had sex, and a quick sweep of the room found a condom wrapper on the nightstand. At least he was a semi-smart drunk.

He briefly wondered if he had time to piss away his erection, but thought better of it as the mystery woman stirred again. He even contemplated leaving naked and getting dressed outside in the frigid January air. But a public indecency charge was the last thing he needed, so he carefully pulled his boxers on and snuck out of the room, getting dressed in the very posh living room. He wished he knew what her name was, or even a way to get a hold of her should anything come up in the future, but decided against knowing. It was just one more thing he didn't need to deal with at the moment. He also made a mental note to lay off the drinking for a while.

He patted himself down —making sure he wouldn't have a reason to come back— and grabbed his coat off the couch before turning the bottom lock on the front door and pulling it shut. In the very least he wasn't going to leave her door wide open so anyone could just walk in.

He pulled the collar of his coat up, noting just how insanely cold it was, thankful there wasn't any snow. He wouldn't have felt so out of place if it were a weekday —he could pull off what he was wearing as work attire— but for an early Saturday, he looked out of place amongst the joggers and speed-walkers.

He was polite and nodded to those who acknowledged him as he tried to get his bearings; absolutely nothing looked familiar. He finally pulled out his phone and dropped a pin on the map, promptly realizing he was nowhere near his apartment. _Great_. A cab was an option, but he didn't know where the closest area with the highest chance of catching one was, so he resorted to finding a bus stop to make the long trek home.

But first he had to find someplace to piss before he burst.

He spun around, taking in his surroundings before spotting a coffee shop with a blinking open sign. Coffee sounded just as good as a bathroom.

He crossed the street, falling in step behind a petite blonde woman. She walked just as fast as he did, and it took him a moment to realize what happened when she suddenly dipped out of view.

"Shit!" she exclaimed from beneath him. He stopped in his tracks, taking in the sight before him — she was on the ground, a broken shoe in her hand.  
"Need a hand?" he offered. She looked up at him, and he couldn't help but laugh. He hair was mussed, her mascara was a little smudged, and even though she had on a long trench coat, he could see the fancy dress that matched her fancy shoes peeking out from underneath.  
"Not if you're going to laugh at me," she huffed. He had to laugh again at the indignant look on her face that didn't quite seem to match the light tone of her voice.

"I'm sorry," he said. "You look like you could use a cup of coffee. Come on, I'll buy you one." She stared up at him defiantly. He stretched his hand out further, and held it there until she finally took it.  
"Tobias," he said as she stood.  
"Tris," she said, inspecting the broken heel on her shoe.

"I know the grounds freezing. I can carry you, if you like." Her face contorted, and he immediately regretted the offer. And why the sudden surge of chivalry? "Or, you can take off the other one and we can jog."  
"The second one," she said, pulling off her other shoe.

She had no trouble keeping up with him, and he smiled as the thought crossed his mind that she was escaping just like he was. They ran inside the shop and she rubbed one foot quickly, then the other.  
"You okay?" he asked, eyebrows raised. She looked over his face quickly, and nodded. "Give me just one second and I'll get you that coffee."

Tobias ran to the bathroom and let out a loud sigh at the relief he felt; both for the clean escape and the leftover alcohol that was surely leaving his system. He half expected her to be gone when he came out, but she was still there, eyeing him up from a table in the corner. He gave her a small smile as he walked over.

"Coffee?" he offered again, and she shook her head.  
"Not a fan." He raised an eyebrow and turned to the menu, eyeing what they had that didn't involve coffee.  
"Hot chocolate it is, then." The corner of her mouth lifted, just slightly.

He ordered two hot chocolates —with extra whipped cream— and sat back down. She glanced around the shop nervously before finally looking at him. He hated to admit it, but he was mesmerized. He looked back, staring into her dark gray eyes like a childhood game of who can go the longest without blinking. He was pleasantly surprised when it was he who had to break contact first to get their order. As he walked back to their table, he had to keep himself in check as her mouth lifted on one side again.

"So, bad night?" he asked; she nearly choked on her drink. He chuckled and got up, handing her a few napkins when he sat back down. She eyed him again as she patted her mouth. He undid his coat, revealing his attire. She took a long look, and he smiled. "Two peas in a pod, we are." At this she gave a hearty laugh, and he knew he was in trouble.

They made small talk —she was a photographer, he was a loan specialist— and Tobias loved how easy everything came. Talking with her was like taking a much needed breath of fresh air. He would be lying if he said he wasn't taking his time drinking the now cold hot chocolate, but she didn't seem to be in a rush either so he went along with it. Eventually he eyed his empty mug —and hers— and knew their time was coming to an end.

"The Walgreens over there should be open now," Tobias said, lifting his chin towards the shop. "You should be able to buy a pair of slippers or something to tide you over until you get home."  
"Or you could just carry me," she said. His stomach did a backflip. She laughed again and Tobias joined in, thinking it was the greatest sound he had ever heard.

"I can walk you over there, if you like," he offered.  
She looked at him for a moment and gave a quick nod. "But I'm buying my own shoes."  
"Deal," he said, that floppy feeling in his stomach returning.

They crossed the street easily, and Tris rubbed her feet again when they got inside. Tobias kicked himself when he realized he never offered up his own shoes, even though they were easily twice her size. He had a feeling she wouldn't have accepted, but he still should have done it.

They wandered the aisles until they found what they were looking for. She took her time, and Tobias wondered —hoped, really— if she was trying to extend their time together. She picked a black pair with a decent sole, and then they waited silently in line. He wanted to ask her for her number before they parted ways, but his nerves were setting in, and he knew he was going to chicken out. He always chickened out at the last moment unless there was someone or some substance egging him on.

She paid, and he offered up his hand again for her to hold while she pulled them on. Unlike last time, Tobias felt what could only be described as electricity at their touch. She pulled away as soon as she could, and wiped her hand on her coat.

"Well, it was nice to meet you, Tris," he said, smiling.  
"Same," she said, tilting her head a little. He tried to muster the courage to at least try and ask for her number. If she said no, it wouldn't be the worst thing in the world— the chances of them meeting again were slim, after all. But she started looking around, and he pushed the thought from his mind as his nerves got the best of him.

"I'm this way." He gestured towards the bus stop he was headed to earlier before she dropped —literally— right into his life. She followed his finger, and nodded.  
"I'm actually the other way. I got turned around this morning," she muttered.

She looked up at him, almost as if she were daring him to ask the question he so desperately wanted to. But he nodded and gave her a small smile instead. She bit her lip and turned away from him. He watched for just a moment as her legs carried her as fast as they could, before turning around himself.

He pulled out his phone to check the bus schedule as he walked, when a small "Wait!" rang out from behind him. He turned to see her running up to him, and his heart thumped hard in his chest.

"Why didn't you ask me for my number?" she demanded. His mouth fell open as she stood there —all five feet of her— calling him out.  
"I…I…" he stammered, trying to come up with a better reason than _I'm a chicken shit_.  
"I what? I thought we had some pretty decent chemistry there, and then you didn't even ask me. Maybe I was wrong about you." She turned to walk away again. He knew he couldn't let this woman, this little firecracker, walk out of his life.  
"Why didn't _you_ ask _me_?" he countered. She stopped dead in her tracks.

His breathing was far too heavy, given the situation, but he didn't do anything to calm it. He wanted her to see the affect she was having on him already. And it _was_ because of her, he was sure of it. He couldn't remember the last time he felt this alive. She turned slowly, her cheeks more flushed than they were a moment ago. He smiled that crooked smile he sometimes got when he didn't know whether to laugh or not.

"Tris," he said softly, "Can I have your number?" He was pretty sure he went deaf as he stood there, even though he could hear his heart thumping loudly in his ears. If she was going to speak, he was going to miss it.

She eyed him up and down, pausing momentarily on his heaving chest, before looking him dead in the eyes again. His own flicked back and forth between hers as he waited. When she reached out and plucked the phone from his hands, he was sure his heart would stop.

He watched as she typed something in, and placed it back in his hands. He knew instantly that she felt that same spark he did, because she wiped her hands on her coat again. She gave him a shy smile as she turned to walk away. He looked down to see the _Tris_ she had entered, followed by a little red heart. A grin broke across his face so wide, he thought it might crack in the cold morning air.

"How do I know this is the right number?" he called out after her.  
"I guess you'll just have to trust me," she yelled back. His stomach flipped again, and he thought it was the best feeling in the world.

**A/N:**  
**Some of you have expressed that you have ideas for this story. Feel free to shoot me a note or leave a comment on my tumblr (milnerwrites). I plan on always having this open, and just adding to it whenever, so all ideas are welcome! I'll make sure to give you credit. :D**


	5. Stuck

Despite living in the same building for years, Tobias had never said a word to the cute blonde whose mailbox was right next to his. They lived on the same floor, a few doors down from each other, and occasionally met up in the hallway or while gathering their mail in the lobby. But shy smiles and polite head bobs were all they had ever exchanged. There were quite a few times Tobias tried to talk himself into at least saying hello, but he always chickened out at the last moment. He was never any good at starting up a conversation.

So it was no surprise that as he checked his mail, he only gave her a tip of his head and moved out of her way. He tossed a few ads in the garbage, and placed a bill that didn't belong to him on the community cork board before picking up his small bag of groceries and pressing the button for the elevator.

As he waited, he chanced a look back at her. She was humming a tune and doing the same thing he just did. It made him smile to know that, even though they had never spoken a word, their mail-checking habits gave them at least one thing in common.

The elevator doors opened, and he stepped inside. He watched her, wondering if he should say something or hold the elevator, but accepted his missed chance when the doors started to close.

"Wait!" he heard, and instantly threw his body forward, sticking an arm and a leg out to stop them from closing completely.  
"Thanks," she said, bounding past him into the elevator. He looked at her for a moment, until she raised an eyebrow.  
_Oh, right_, he thought. He stepped back and pressed the number fifteen again, standing off to the side as the doors closed. _Say something_, he thought to himself. She had broken the proverbial ice, so what was there left to lose?

Oh, hey. You don't know me, and I only live a couple doors down from you, but I've been secretly staring at you for years. Want to have dinner some time?

She would move in an instant, and he wouldn't blame her.

He wasn't any good at this; it amazed him that he had ever managed to have girlfriends in the past. Of course, it was because they did all the work in the beginning. But he told himself he could at least say something. They had been doing the same song and dance for years and it wouldn't hurt to say hello. He took a deep breath, trying to gather up the courage, when she sneezed.

"Bless you," he said. Well, it wasn't an introduction, but it was, in fact, something.  
"Thanks," she said, wiggling her nose. "Weird. I only sneeze when I'm—" she sneezed again. "Around tulips." He wished he could disappear as he looked down at the small bouquet of tulips in his bag: his mom was coming over for dinner, and he thought he'd do something nice and buy her some flowers.

That particular moment, the one that was slowly turning into one of the most awkward in his life, was made substantially worse when the lights flickered and the elevator stopped. She sneezed again.

"Whath goin' on?" she said, sounding completely stuffy. He had to put in a sizable amount of effort to hold back his smile.  
"No idea. But it looks like we're on…twelve?" he said, looking up at the number on the wall. He pressed the number fifteen again, but nothing happened.  
"Great," she said. She tossed her things down and sat in the corner. "Thith happen oneth before. Took a lon time."

Tobias glanced in his bag again, and rummaged through it before setting it far away from her.  
"Here," he said, handing her the pack of napkins.  
"Thankth ," she said, ripping into it and blowing her nose. "Oh God, so much better." She sneezed again.

"Dammit! Why am I…" she trailed off, as if just noticing the bag Tobias was trying so desperately to hide. "Do you? Are there _tulips_ in there?" He felt himself get hot as the blush overtook him.  
"Yeah," he whispered. "Sorry." He would have been lying if he said he wasn't completely confused when she started laughing uncontrollably.

"What's so funny?" he eventually asked. She wiped her eyes, and held up a finger as another sneeze came out. She blew her nose again.  
"Murphy's my best friend." She gave him a quick smile, and he felt himself return it. "Last time this happened? I had to pee. Try being in here for an hour and a half with a full bladder."  
"Oh no," he said, chuckling now. "What did you do?"  
"What any self-respecting person would do. I peed in one corner and sat in the other."

Tobias's mouth fell open a little. She stared up at him with such a straight face, he had no reason to not believe her. He glanced at a corner quickly and she laughed again, followed by a sneeze.

"I'm just kidding," she said, blowing her nose. "Somehow, I held it. You honestly have no idea what relief is until you are able to pee after holding it for that long." She smiled up at him, and Tobias had never been more happy to be stuck in an elevator.

"Should we call someone or…" he trailed off, looking at the control panel.  
"No. See that yellow blinking light?" Tobias nodded. "It's already let them know it's stuck. Now, we wait."

They were quiet for a while —except for her sneezing and nose blowing— when Tobias began to feel uncomfortable. He had always had a thing about being in small spaces, but this elevator was larger than most so it never got to him before. But as time passed, the air was getting warmer and staler and his mind was starting to fuck with him.

"Are you okay?" she asked. He had started pulling on the neck of his shirt, and he was pretty sure he had pit stains already as he could feel the sweat trickling down the back of his neck every now and then.  
"Yeah. Fine. I'm fine," he said, waving his hand. She tilted her head to the side, eyes narrowed.

"You are not. Sit." He looked down at her, but she just raised her eyebrows in a challenge. When he didn't move, she leaned up on one knee and grabbed his hand, dragging him down next to her. He could smell her perfume or her clean hair —he didn't know or care which— and it smelled sweet, like vanilla. He was sure it had just become his favorite smell in the world.

"Claustrophobic?" she asked, and he nodded.  
"Just a little."  
"It's okay. They'll have us out in no time. Just close your eyes and I'll keep you safe."

He was definitely spiraling in that moment, but it had nothing to do with the small space.

"I'm Tris, by the way," she whispered from next to him. He could feel her breath on his arm.  
"Tobias," he said, opening his eyes. She was staring at him, and he found himself staring back. Her face was beautiful and soft, but her eyes were filled with a look he only knew how to describe as determination. Or maybe it was passion. Either way, he loved it. "It's nice to finally meet you," he added. She sneezed and he laughed.

"I'm really sorry about that," he said, gesturing to his bag, "But now I know what flowers to not bring you." She smiled, and he felt himself blush. Where the hell did that come from?  
"Lilies," she said, a small blush forming on her own cheeks.  
"Thanks for the tip."

They made small talk about nothing important, like work and movies and fast food while they waited. Sometimes he had his eyes closed, but when they were open they were trained on her, and the small space grew larger. He watched her lips as she spoke and the way she ran a hand through her hair often, moving it from one side to the other. Her hands were small, and he had the desire to touch them to see if they felt as soft as they looked. He realized she had stopped talking and he looked up, embarrassed to be caught staring. Surely she would tell him off.

"You okay?" she asked instead. Who was this girl?  
"Yeah. I am," he said. He was more than okay. He had never been so okay in his entire life.

He didn't quite know what to do when she shifted a little closer to him and looped her arm with his. He remembered to breathe after a minute, and finally moved a little closer to her, too. They were silent except for her occasional sneezes.

"At this rate," she said, tossing another used napkin into her pile, "I'm going to run out of these."  
"How long has it been, anyway?" He knew they would get out eventually, but he was content to stay here for however long it took.  
"Mmm, forty-five minutes," she said, looking at her phone. She held it out in his direction. "Want to listen to music?"  
"Sure."

She could have easily played it through the phone's speaker, but she handed him one of her earbuds and sidled back up against him. Even though they hardly knew each other, he didn't feel like he was there with a complete stranger. He was thankful for her desire to be close to him; it was helping him get through a moment that would have been much worse had he been all alone.

She hit shuffle and never skipped a song. Everything from Devo to Nicki Minaj to Metallica came on, and Tobias loved that she was so unpredictable. Never in a million years could he have pinned her down, and he knew he would gladly spend that long getting to learn everything about her.

He cleared his throat, as if she had somehow heard his thoughts. _Idiot_. She looked over at him, and he noticed a tear in her eye. He panicked for a quick moment; she must have seen it all over his face.

"Sorry. It's just this song. It gets me every time." He hadn't even been paying attention; he was too caught up in his own thoughts about her. He didn't know why, but he wanted to take whatever it was that made her feel like this, and banish it someplace where it could never hurt her again. He might not have known her that long, but he still felt her sadness, right there in his chest. Without a second thought, he leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead.

He was all butterflies and panic when he pulled away and saw her wide eyes. He had no idea if he did a good thing or a bad one.

"I'm sorry," he blurted out. "I shouldn't have." He tried to scoot away, the earbud yanking out of his ear. But she gripped his arm tight and pulled him back to her, offering him the earbud again. He took it as she laid her head on his shoulder, the song that brought on her tears playing softly. He let out a loud breath, and rested his head on top of hers.

He felt like he should have said something; it seemed like a decent enough time to ask her for her number or out to dinner. But he found that he didn't really want to talk, he just wanted to be in her presence. While he was no stranger to relationships, this was unfamiliar territory for him.

Their moment was short-lived when the elevator buzzed and jumped, making its way up to their floor.  
"Oh, yay," she said, one last sneeze escaping. He stood and helped her up. They gathered their things and exited the elevator quickly.

"Oh sweet, fresh air," Tobias said, taking in a deep breath. Tris giggled as they walked down the hallway together. He passed his place and continued the few doors down to hers. It seemed only appropriate to walk her home after all of that. She gave him a shy smile, and he hoped this wouldn't be all there was to them. He opened his mouth to speak, but she beat him to it.

"What are you doing tonight?" she asked, and Tobias's face broke into a wide grin.  
"I'm having dinner with my mom, actually. The flowers are for her." It was Tris's turn to smile now. "I can always change it to another day, though."  
"Don't you _dare_ cancel on your mother," she scolded. "Tomorrow?"  
"Not a thing."  
"Perfect. Six?" He nodded. "Don't forget the lilies," she said, a coy smile on her face as she went into her apartment. Tobias stood there, amazed at how a single hour had completely changed his life.

**A/N:**

**To the guest reviewer who gave this scenario as a suggestion, I already had this one in my arsenal. ;)**


	6. Christmas

Tris never minded staying late at work. She loved her job, even though it was just the generic office kind, but liked it better when the phones weren't ringing off the hook and the people weren't constantly shuffling by, bumping into her as if she were invisible. The glow of the city lights through the large windows and the quiet sounds of the clicking keyboard were a comfort to her, even if it was Christmas Eve.

She should be home, she knew, or at least over at her best friend's house. But she was feeling a little down, and didn't want to be surrounded by people who were so full of Christmas spirit.

Sometimes it was hard to pretend like you were happy.

She wasn't depressed. It was just that the holidays and the memories they evoked sometimes got to her, and she always preferred to be alone when that happened. She didn't like the sympathetic looks that eventually led to unhappy conversations about her past and how she felt about it. Sometimes she just didn't want to talk about it.

Her eyes drifted to the only personal item she kept on her desk, and she smiled as she stared at a version of herself that was ten years younger, wearing Mickey Mouse ears and grinning like a maniac in front of Sleeping Beauty's Castle. It was their family's first trip to Disneyland; one of the best memories she has.

She turned her focus to her brother, who looked like he was too cool to be there. She missed him, but the job in Washington was too good for him to pass up. At least she would hear his voice, bright and early when he called tomorrow to wish her a Merry Christmas while they opened their presents together.

She wouldn't get that from her parents.

She pressed on her eyes, trying her best not to cry. She took a deep breath, shook her head and her hands, and got back to work.

Time passed and her progress slowed as she kept thinking about them; she missed them terribly. Tris sometimes wondered if they would still be proud of her, even though she dropped out of college after their deaths. She always felt like a bit of a disappointment when it came to that, but she couldn't have dealt with school at the time. How was she supposed to go on with her life when theirs had ended so abruptly?

She did her best to keep them at bay all evening, but the tears began with no sign of letting up. It was just her here, though, so she let them fall. Tris allowed herself to fill up with every emotion and then let them all out in the ugliest of ways.

Snot-covered and tear-stained, she blindly wove her way through the cubicles and down the hall towards the bathroom, running right into someone.  
"Shit! Sorry!" a deep voice cried out. "I didn't know anyone else was…are you okay?" Through her tears, Tris could only make out a dark figure that looked like a giant compared to her. She nodded and pushed past him, thankful to be alone again.

She took a minute to squeeze the last of her tears out then blew her nose and wiped her eyes, doing her best to fix her waterproof mascara that wasn't turning out to be so waterproof. _I'm a mess_, she thought as she looked at herself. Her eyes were puffy and red, and a little smudgy from her makeup; her nose made her feel like Rudolph, and even clearing her throat she could still hear that she sounded like a sick animal. It went along with the wailing she was doing, she supposed.

She snagged some more toilet paper, in case she started crying again, and opened the door to see someone leaning against the wall. She had never seen this man before, but her very first thought was _damn_. Tall, tan skin, great body, full lips, blue eyes. Deep, deep blue eyes… One side of his mouth lifted, and she realized she was staring. She looked down at her feet.

"I just wanted to apologize again," he said. She recognized the voice, mortified that she ran into him all snot-nosed and weepy. "I really had no idea anyone else was here, and I had my nose in this." He held up a folder and she looked back up, nodding.  
"It's okay, really," she said with a wave of her hand. "And same. I thought that everyone else would be gone, too." He gave her a nod, that lopsided smile still on his face. She stood there, unsure of what to do next. What _do_ you do next, in a situation like this?

"I'm Tris," she said, finally remembering basic social etiquette.  
"Tobias," he said. He stuck his hand out. She looked at it for a second before taking it; it completely dwarfed hers. She wasn't sure why, but she loved the contrast.

"Well, I should let you get back," he said. Again she nodded, watching as he pulled his hand away from hers. "Have a good night. And, umm, Merry Christmas."  
"Oh, yeah. Right. Uhh, Merry Christmas to you, too. Unless you don't celebrate it, of course. In which case...Happy Holidays, I guess."

_What the hell was that_?

She could feel the heat creeping up the back of her neck as she stood there, fiddling with a button on her cardigan. Tobias hadn't moved, so she decided to end the horrifically awkward moment and walked away quickly. She wanted to turn around to see what part of the office he was heading to, but the thought of seeing his face, and the odd look that was surely on it, stopped her.

She busied herself with work. Or rather, tried to. She kept looking over to the doorway, hoping to see him walking past or maybe even just leaning in it like he was when she first saw him. How the hell does someone make leaning look _that_ attractive? She shook her head and looked at the clock. It was almost ten.

She let out a loud sigh and started gathering her things while her computer saved all her work and shut down. Just as she was about to pull her coat on, she heard someone clear their throat. Her head snapped to the door to see him standing there.

"I didn't want to scare you," he said. He took a few steps towards her, then stopped. "I, umm, well, you see…" He stalled out, and she found herself smiling at his flustered state. "I don't have anyone to spend the holidays with, and I'm going out on a huge limb here assuming it might be the same for you." He paused, and she nodded in confirmation. "There's an all night diner down the street. Rocky's? I don't know if you've seen it. Well, they're open, and that's how I spend my time when everyone else is doing the family thing. So, I was wondering if maybe you'd like to…join me?"

She watched him look at his feet for a moment before shifting his gaze to her. She couldn't help but stare back. His eyes were so blue and thoughtful and captivating…

She realized she was staring again when that smile appeared.

"Sure," she said, standing up so fast she swore she heard a sonic boom. She bit her lip, embarrassed by her show of enthusiasm. Her embarrassment promptly turned into curiosity when she caught him staring at her lips; _she_ should be the one staring.

They walked out of the office together into the frigid Chicago air. They kept their space, but she noted that he stood a little closer than she would have thought, and it made her smile. The forecast called for snow, but nothing had happened yet. The clouds were there, though; dark and billowy, illuminated by the city lights.

"Maybe we'll have a white Christmas," she said as they walked down the street. She could see her breath as she spoke; she huffed out again, watching the large puff, and caught Tobias smiling. "What?" He breathed out, making a large cloud of his own. "Yeah, okay. It's childish, but I like doing it," she said, and he did it again. They chuckled as they walked, huffing and puffing until they reached the diner.

It was only a couple blocks away, but she had never been here before. It looked like a typical 50's diner inside, complete with a retro jukebox. There were only two other people inside, and the waitress looked relieved to have something to do.

They looked over the menus after they were seated, and both ordered the standard burger and fries. He added on a chocolate milkshake at the last minute, and she decided to order one, too.

"So, what do you do in the office?" he asked.  
"Oh, you know. A little of this, a little of that. I'm the girl who gets to make sure everything makes its way from paper to computer, so everything has a back-up and nothing gets lost."  
"Oooh, fun," he said, smiling.

"So what do you do?" she asked, hoping for the chance to poke fun back.  
"Well, umm…" She watched him as he shifted a bit. "I just manage the different departments on the floor. So, I guess that would make me one of your bosses. You know, _technically_."  
"Technically," she repeated.  
"Yeah." He eased into a soft smile that she couldn't help but return.

They continued to make small talk, occasionally bringing up work. She offered up a few ideas to streamline some things, and he smiled so wide she blushed again.

"The music stopped," he said while they picked at the last of their food.  
"Oh. It did," she said. She looked up to see they were alone. She hadn't even noticed that the other people had left. She fished in her purse and pulled out a few quarters, offering them up.  
"Nah, you pick."

She flipped through the selections. At first she was going to play something Christmas-y, since they were coming closer to the actual hour, but changed her mind at the last minute when she saw it. As she slid into the booth, it started to play.

"This?" he said after just a few words, and she smiled that he recognized it.  
"It was my mom's favorite. She used to sing it all the time. Said it gave her hope. Reminded her to not let the bad things in, and that if you wanted something, you just had to go after it." She bit her lip. Just talking about her mother was making her want to cry again. Tobias put down the fry in his hand and closed his eyes. She liked that he was paying it special attention, and did the same.

_Hey Jude, don't be afraid  
__You were made to go out and get her  
__The minute you let her under your skin  
__Then you begin to make it better_

She silently sang along. Tris thought it was such a beautiful song, and even without her mother's influence it was something that she would have fallen in love with. She felt a tear slip out, and wiped it away quickly; Tobias had already seen enough of that.

"Nah, nah nah, nah nah nah nah," she heard, and opened her eyes. Tobias was smiling across from her, singing out loud. "Nah nah nah nah, hey Jude." She let out a bit of a wet laugh, and joined in.

When the song ended, they sat there in silence again, stealing glances at each other as they tried to not get caught staring. Eventually, the waitress came over and handed them the bill; Tobias snatched it up before she could even move her arm.

"How much is mine?" she asked, but he just shook his head. "Tobias, please."  
"Nope. Consider it a Christmas bonus." He smiled as he shoved a credit card in the little folder and handed it back to the waitress.

She rifled through her wallet while they waited for her to come back. "Well, at least let me add to the tip. She deserves a lot for being here tonight."  
"She does," Tobias said. He smiled when she came back, and Tris watched as he scribbled his name down. She couldn't see any numbers, so she tossed a ten down, hoping it was enough. They thanked the waitress again as they gathered their things and bundled back up.

"Hey," he said, getting her attention. She looked up to see him motion to the window; a light snow had started to fall. "Looks like we'll get that white Christmas after all. Merry Christmas, Tris." She looked over to the clock on wall, and saw that it was, in fact, after midnight. She had no idea that much time had passed.  
"Oh, wow. Yeah, Merry Christmas," she said, smiling. As far as holidays with strangers go this one topped every list, she thought. They stood in the doorway for a second, making sure they were bundled up tight when the waitress cleared her throat. Tris worried that she forgot something or that maybe she didn't leave a large enough tip, but when she looked over at her she was smiling. She pointed, and Tris looked up.

They were standing underneath mistletoe.

"Oh," she said, feeling herself get warm. Tobias finished fixing his scarf and looked up, too, finally catching on.  
"Oh," he said, mimicking Tris. She didn't look at him―choosing to stare at his chest instead― but she could definitely feel when he looked back down at her. It was an intense few moments before she couldn't take it anymore and looked up. He had that crooked grin on his face and she felt her stomach flutter.

"Oh, what the hell," Tris muttered, and that grin turned into a full-on smile. He leaned down as she leaned up, and their lips met. It was quick and chaste, but holy hell was it nice.

He opened the door for her and they walked out, shivering at the first blast of icy air.

"Shit," he said, stuffing his hands into his pockets. "I forgot for a second that we lived in a polar bear's asshole."  
"What?" she said, laughing. "Wouldn't that be warm?"  
"Ha! Okay, maybe." He laughed. It was light and carefree. She loved the way it sounded. "Colder than a witch's tit?" he offered up, and she laughed again.  
"Alright, stop laughing. It's too fucking cold to think."  
"There you go," she said, grinning. They were back in front of the office building before she knew it. It might have been freezing cold and snowing, but she didn't really want to say goodbye.

"Do you have a ride?" he asked.  
"Oh, yeah. My car's just down there." She pointed, and he started walking, leaving her no choice but to follow. He slowed his strides until she caught up to him.

"This one," she said, coming to a stop. "Thank you again. I had a really great evening."  
"Me, too," he said. He smiled and she was drawn to his lips, thinking about their quick kiss. He must have been, too; he leaned down slowly and she gave him a slight nod, closing the gap between them. This time it was not just a sweet peck. His lips were full and warm, despite the cold, and he tasted like chocolate. When he pulled away, she had to take a second to catch her breath.

He pulled his phone out, and so did she. They laughed as they tried to type in each other's numbers with frozen fingers.

"Got it," he said, handing her phone back. "When you get in the car and get all warmed up, just text me so I have your number, okay?"  
"Okay." He gave her another quick kiss on the lips, and waited on the sidewalk until she got in her car and started it up.

Tris rubbed her hands together while she waited for her car to warm up, and found Tobias's number in her phone.

_\- Thank you again for the wonderful evening. It's going to be hard to top that Christmas Eve. _

She sat for a few minutes until those three little dots appeared, and smiled.

_\- __I agree. I'd like to try, though_

**A/N:**

**Song: Hey Jude - The Beatles**

**You guys are amazing. :D**


	7. Cake

_Fuck everything about this day_ Tobias thinks as he seeks out a table as far away from everyone as he can get. The little coffee shop is busy, as usual, but since it's close to campus it's larger than most shops like it, and there are tables that are set further apart from the others so students can study with a little privacy. He's pleased to see there's one near the window available.

He tosses his bag in one chair and flops down in the other, watching the people pass on the sidewalk as he stares off. He knows he should be studying ―it's not often that a professor grants a second chance at a big test― but he just can't find the willpower. Besides, what is he going to learn that he doesn't already know? It's not like he didn't study his ass off the first time around. Failing miserably just seems to be his forte. A man with glasses holding a stack of books catches his eye; Tobias takes a deep breath and lets it out in a loud sigh before reaching over and snagging his book and notes out of his bag.

He alternates between his book and the notes he wrote, willing them to stick in his brain. He needs to pass this class, and he needs at least a C to do so. He knows it's not completely impossible, but at this point it feels that way. He's been staring for so long it feels like his eyes are going to turn into jelly if he doesn't look away. He rubs his eyes ―a little too hard― and stares out the window while he waits for his vision to correct itself. He blinks a few times, noticing a blonde girl talking on the phone right outside the window.

She paces back and forth, running a hand through her hair, and he instantly feels like he can relate: this time of year is nothing but stress for most students. He blinks a few more times, watching as she shakes her head and holds a hand up over her eyes. He knows he shouldn't intrude on what is probably a very intimate moment, but he can't help himself; he needs the distraction to save his sanity.

She puts the phone in her pocket and turns, resting against the window right in front of him. He stares, only now noticing that she's crying. He _definitely_ should look away. But the light is just right behind her and her hair looks like a beautiful golden halo, like she's been blessed by God himself. He takes in her other features: the pink tint on her cheeks, the slight pout of her lower lip, her button nose that's just a little red…

She looks up, directly at him, and he scrambles; picking up papers and flipping through his book, frantically trying to look like he wasn't just watching her for the past five minutes. When he finally gets the courage to look back out the window, she's nowhere to be seen. He feels a little guilty for intruding, but he also feels the desire to learn her name, find out what made her so sad.

He sighs and stands, stretching his long limbs before walking up to the counter and ordering an extra large black coffee with two shots of espresso. He knows he's going to need it if he plans on doing this any longer.

Hours pass, and Tobias feels like he hasn't learned a damned thing since he walked in here; he's even more antsy about it thanks to the coffee. He tosses his pen down and rubs his face before letting his head hit his textbook with a loud thunk. _Maybe I can learn by osmosis_, he thinks. He doesn't know how long he stays like that, but when a small pair of feet come into his line of sight he finally lifts his head. His eyes go wide when he sees _her_ standing there. Her hair is pulled back and she's wearing an apron now, but it's definitely the same girl, and she has a piece of cake in her hand.

"You look like you could use this," she says, setting it down. His eyes move to the obnoxiously large piece of chocolate cake she set down before making their way back to the girl standing next to him. She gives him a soft smile, and he realizes he's being a weirdo by just staring.

"Oh. Umm, thanks. How much do I owe you?"  
"Absolutely nothing. It's on the house."  
"Thanks," he mutters. She gives him a slight nod and turns to go. For the same reasons as before, he doesn't want her to.

"Hey, wait," he says. She turns back around, her cheeks a little pinker than they were a few seconds ago. "I...umm…I didn't mean to…" he trails off as he gestures to the window, not quite knowing how to apologize for staring earlier.  
"I know," she says, and he smiles. Even though they haven't said more than a few words, he feels oddly comfortable in her presence. She jerks her thumb towards the counter. "I gotta get back."  
"Oh, yeah. Right. Thanks again." She smiles, and Tobias can't help but feel a little twinge of something stirring inside him.

"Do you have a break coming up?" he blurts out, feeling a little embarrassed as all six people at the table closest to him turn to watch their exchange.  
"I…umm…why?" she asks, a little laugh escaping.  
"You just look like you could use some cake, too."

Her smile is wide as she ducks her head for a moment. Tobias can see one of the guys from the other table ―a dark-skinned boy with wild hair and an infectious grin― give him a thumbs up. He shakes his head a little, stifling a laugh. He definitely wasn't expecting to do anything like this today, let alone with the approval of total strangers. He looks back at her, and notices the look of confusion on her face.

"I'm sorry," he says. "It's just…well…you know I saw you earlier, and I thought that maybe we could share this since we both seem to be having one of those days." He's not quite sure where this confidence is coming from, but he's sure that he'll have to thank the boy at the next table who's silently cheering him on. She smiles again and checks her watch.  
"Ten minutes," she says.  
"Okay," he says. She turns and he watches her walk away, a slight skip in her step. He looks over at the boy, who gives him an approving nod, and smiles.

"That was smooth," he says, getting up and moving the bag, sitting in the chair across from him. "Name's Zeke."  
"Tobias. And, uhh, thanks, I guess, for giving me a little extra confidence."  
"Nah, man. That was all you." Zeke flashes him a wide grin. "Been coming here for a long time, and Tris? She's a great girl. Nice, cute, friendly. The whole package. My little brother even hit on her a few times, but nothing ever came of it. They're friends now, which by default makes her my friend. So if you hurt her, I'll have to kill you."

Tobias felt his mouth fall open. Zeke was smiling, as if he didn't just threaten him with death. A quick glance at the counter made Tobias believe him: she was staring, eyes narrowed at the two of them.

"Noted," Tobias says.  
"Perfect! Nice to meet you, Tobias," he says as he stands, holding his hand out.  
"Same." Tobias gives Zeke a firm handshake, suddenly wondering just what he has gotten himself into.

He spends the next few minutes gathering his things into a neat pile, doing anything to make the time go by faster. If he was being honest with himself, he really wasn't going to learn anything else today; his brain was half mush at this point. He glanced over at the counter to see her take off her apron, smooth her shirt down, and start walking towards him.

"Hi," she said, taking the seat across from him. "I'm sorry. About that." She tipped her head back to the table Zeke was sitting at. "Surrogate big brother."  
"No need. I totally get it. I'm Tobias, by the way."  
"Tris." She smiled, and Tobias was certain the entire store lit up.  
"It's nice to meet you, Tris."

She held up a fork and gave a small chuckle, a slight blush forming on her cheeks. He picked up the fork from the plate, scooping a large piece onto it and shoving it in his mouth. He regretted it instantly, the situation made a hundred times more awkward by him smacking his lips as he tried to choke it down.

"It's good," he said, swallowing the thick paste in a large lump. He felt it get stuck half-way down. "I didn't expect it to be so thick. What is it?"  
"It's called dauntless cake. It's sort of this flourless concoction someone came up with. Makes it hard to eat big bites."  
"So I noticed."

Tris gave a laugh and stood, disappearing behind the counter. He let out a sigh of relief when she reappeared with two glasses of milk. He nodded gratefully, taking a glass and downing a large gulp.

"Better?" She gave him a smile as he wiped his mouth on the back of his hand.  
"Much."  
"So what are you studying?" She pulled his textbook towards her, flipping through a few pages.  
"This is for physics with calculus. I'm studying to be an engineer."  
"Ooh, nice."

Tobias felt himself get warm as he watched her. She wasn't playing any games or telling him what he wanted to hear. She seemed genuinely interested, which was refreshing. He had been on many dates that ended with him wishing he had never spoken to the girl in the first place.

"Ouch. A fifty-two?" She held his test up, scrunching her nose.  
"Yep. Hence the all day studying. I need to get at least a seventy to pass the class."  
"I can help." It was his turn to give her a look. She only smiled in response.

"Okay, I'll ask. How?"  
"My brother is something of a genius. He'll probably own MIT at some point. Anyway, I was an adoring little sister, always wanting to hang around my big brother. He's such a nerd; he would teach me songs and mnemonics about math and English and everything else under the sun. I probably know as much about this stuff as he does."

She waves her hand as if to dismiss it as no big deal, but Tobias can't stop staring. One side of his mouth lifts in total awe of this surprising girl sitting across from him.

"What?" Her voice is a little quieter as she looks at him through her eyelashes.  
"Nothing," he breathes out.

"Hey, I have an idea," she says, her face breaking into a wide grin. "Why don't I tutor you?"  
"Yeah, okay," he says a little too quickly. She giggles at his enthusiastic response. "Like tonight, or tomorrow?" He waves his hand, trying his best to play it off. In reality, his heart is beating harder than it ever has.

"Either works for me. Or both," she adds, smiling just a little.  
"Okay."  
"Okay. It's a date then."


	8. Compromising Positions

"Oh, come on. This is not going to be as bad as you're making it out to be." Christina batted her eyelashes at her best friend, throwing in a pout for good measure, but Tris only huffed and looked up at the large warehouse.  
"Fine," she said, giving in. "But you owe me. Let's just not be in there forever." Christina smiled and took Tris's hand, leading her through the door.

The first thing Tris noticed was the anti-theft security system; she tugged on Christina's hand and pointed to it. "Is that really necessary?"  
"Oh, you know. Boys and their porn!" She laughed and pulled Tris through the beaded curtain.

She couldn't believe there needed to be a building this large to house _pornography_, of all things. There were a few guys wandering about alone, two couples, and a small crowd of giggling women she could hear in the back. She didn't know why, but she blushed immediately.

"Come on. We have to walk through the movies to get to the party favors." Tris made a face and reluctantly moved her feet.

Row upon row of video boxes featuring naked girls, a lot of them in compromising positions, stared back at her. She tried to look away, but it was as if she was mesmerized by each flash of bare flesh.

"Oh my God! How does that even fit?" She yanked on Christina, pointing to a box with a rather well-endowed man boasting a smug, seductive smile. "And _why_ would you even try?"  
Christina laughed. "Come on, my little naive girl."

Tris shot her friend a look. It wasn't like she was some prudish virgin who had never been with or seen a naked man before. She just never found much pleasure in watching videos of other people being intimate in uncomfortable ways; she preferred the real thing, in the flesh. She often thought it might be more appealing if these types of movies seemed more realistic, instead of an absurd display of who could put what where, and in the most ridiculous or painful ways possible.

Christina pulled her up to a wall full of toys: plastic or latex, manual or motorized, all in various shapes and sizes. "I thought we could pick out the most hilarious-looking one and use it as a centerpiece. It'll make Shauna laugh her ass off." Shauna was the first one of them to get married, and hers was the first bachelorette party they were throwing. She looked at Christina out of the side of her eye and let her hand go.

She browsed: pink, blue, white, black, rhinestones, beads, glass? Tris's mouth fell open as she gingerly picked up the largest… _thing_ she had ever seen.  
"Rambone?" she said louder than she meant to, raising her eyebrows at Christina. "_Why_?"  
"To make you question it, my dear. Also, I do believe you have found the winner. Congrats!" Tris awkwardly smiled as Christina took it from her.

They made their way past displays of swings, boxes advertising lifelike representations of female anatomy, and a wall of various lubricants until they found what they came for.

"Penis-shaped ice cube trays and straws, definitely," Christina said, pulling various items off the shelves and handing them to Tris, Rambone precariously balanced underneath it all. "Ooh! Pin the Willy on the Man! Yes!" Tris felt herself turn red as Christina nonchalantly grabbed anything that looked remotely like a dick.

"Chris, I don't know how much I can hold. I think I saw some baskets in the front…" She turned to gesture with her body, and spun right into someone, the items scattering all over.  
"Shit!" A deep voice called out. "I am so sorry."

Tris was frozen in place as a tall man stood right in front of her. She could feel the heat radiating off of her neck and face and she refused to look up, stuck staring straight ahead at an exquisitely sculpted chest in a tight black t-shirt. Her mouth was opening and closing, but nothing would come out.

"Thanks a lot!" Christina growled, managing to pull Tris's attention towards her; she was staring up at the man Tris had collided with, her eyebrows furrowed. "The least you could do is help pick it up, Gigantor." Tris looked around nervously, noticing the stares from the people closest to them. She wanted to shrivel up and die knowing that all this attention was on them. Tris finally looked up and saw that the man was just as flustered as she was, his hands held behind his back, unmoving.

"Yeah. Yeah you're right. Sorry," he mumbled, staring at Tris. Christina huffed and walked away, leaving the two of them standing there in an awkward dance of who was going to move first.

Tris averted her eyes and knelt down, trying to gather everything close to her. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the man's arm quickly place something on the closest shelf just before he joined her. She had to stifle a laugh at how ridiculously awkward this whole trip was turning out to be.

"Is this for you?" he asked, holding up the enormous toy with two fingers.  
"Yes. Totally for me," she deadpanned, even though she could feel the heat radiating from her neck and her ears. "Couldn't _possibly_ be for a bachelorette party." This time she did laugh as his eyes flicked between the various items, the toy still pinched between his fingers, dangling in front of her.

"It doesn't have cooties," she said, snatching it from him and shoving it next to the pile.  
"I know," he said indignantly.

She had no idea where Christina had gone off to, but as she pulled a packet of penis-shaped lollipops towards her, she realized there was nothing left to gather.

"Well, thank you," she said, standing up. Her eyes caught the out of place DVD; it was sitting in front of a blow-up sheep named Lady Ba-Ba. She shook her head as he tried to block her line of sight.

"So what brings you here?" she asked, a smirk on her face. She felt like it was only fair at this point to put the attention on him.  
"Bachelor party," he blurted out. The tips of his ears flushed pink.  
"Right," she said, her eyes darting to the shelf.

She looked around for Christina who was nowhere in sight. "You're taller than me. Do you see my friend?"  
He gave the shop a quick pass. "No. Do you want me to help you carry this stuff up to the checkout? I mean, it _is_ the least I could do." He looked everywhere but at her, rubbing his hand on the back of his neck. She hated to admit it, but it was kind of cute how embarrassed he was.  
She let out a loud sigh. "Sure."

He gathered more than she did, thanks to his long arms, but she shot him a look when he left Rambone for her. "What? It makes a man feel…inadequate."  
"Oh, please," she shot back. "Trust me when I say that you're _more_ than fine. Nobody wants…_this._" She stopped walking for a second when she realized what came out of her mouth; she wasn't sure who was redder, her or him. She rushed past him, eager to pay and get the hell out.

The counter was almost nonexistent; it didn't make sense to her until she realized that most people were only going to be bringing up one or two things or something small, like a movie. Her eyes wandered over to the man standing next to her, hands full of her items.

"Uhh, here," she said, setting down what she could to try and take the items from him. "I know you have your own purchases to make." She ducked her head, smiling when he flushed.  
"I…I'm good," he mumbled.

She took one last look around the store, still not finding Christina anywhere. She sighed and forked over her debit card, paying an absurd amount of money for a bunch of plastic genitalia; Christina was really going to owe her now. She took bag after small bag, thanking the heavens that they were an opaque black color. The woman behind the counter smiled at her as she handed her Rambone.

"Sorry, don't have a big enough bag." Tris pursed her lips as she reached out, surprised to see a large hand intercept it before she could. She looked over at the man who was now holding the large toy, housed in its even larger plastic case, trying to act like this was an everyday occurrence.

"It's the least I could do, since your friend ditched you and all." He glanced at the cashier, then back at her. "I'm Tobias, by the way."  
"Tris," she said, giving him a slight nod before turning away from him.

She was aware of his every movement as they walked towards Christina's car; he was much larger than she was, and it wasn't a stretch to think he could overpower her in an instant. She glanced behind her and knew deep down that he wouldn't do that― he seemed to be more embarrassed than she was. For the second time, she thought about how cute it was.

"This is me," she said, resting a hip against the trunk of Christina's car.  
"And your friend?" She thought he sounded concerned.  
"No idea." She deposited the bags on top of the trunk and walked to the passenger door when a flash of movement caught her eye: Christina was staring up at her, crouched in the back seat, an apologetic look on her face. Tris shot her a look that made her recoil.

"Tobi―"  
"So this is―" They both paused, laughing that they cut each other off, trying to be the first one to speak.  
"You go ahead," Tris said.  
"I…" He looked around, rubbing the back of his neck again; she blushed for him. The fact that she made him nervous was attractive to her. He wasn't a bad-looking guy: tall, muscular, full lips. She blushed harder when she realized he was staring at her as she checked him out. "I know this is weird, considering where we are, but would you like to maybe get a drink sometime? With me," he added as an afterthought.

Tris felt herself smile. She couldn't remember the last time a guy tried to pick her up, not that she had time to stop and even talk to anyone on a normal day. Between teaching and grading papers and lesson planning, her social life was fairly nonexistent.

"It's been a while since I've done this," he said, filling the silence when she didn't respond right away. "Obviously." She let out a soft chuckle when he glanced back at the adult store.  
"I don't need an explanation," she said, holding up her hands and giggling. "But, is this _really_ where you want to ask me out? I mean, what will we tell our grandchildren when they ask how we met?"

His face broke into a wide grin. "Is Saturday okay?"  
"I haven't even said yes." She felt herself get hot. His smile was infectious and their mild flirtation was making her curious; she knew it was going to be hard to resist his charm.  
"True, but if you're planning our hypothetical grandchildren already, I must have at least half a chance."

She gave him a small smile, partly because he was right, and partly because she did feel like taking a chance on something.

"Okay. Saturday." The window rolled down slightly, a pen and an old receipt making its way out. Tris rolled her eyes and took them from Christina. Tobias raised his eyebrows.

"You'll have to excuse that," she said, nudging her head towards the backseat. "Meddler," she added under her breath; she heard a snicker from the backseat. She moved to the back of the car, and scribbled her name and number down before handing him the piece of paper. She watched as he tucked it carefully in his wallet.

"You can come out now," he said, a grin on his face.  
The door opened behind Tris, and Christina popped out, grinning. "Goodnight," Christina said in a sing-song voice. "We'll see you soon." Tris rolled her eyes and gave him an apologetic look. He tipped his head towards the both of them and walked away.

"You're lucky he's nice. And cute," Tris said, turning to smack Christina on the arm.  
"Ow! And hey, that's what friends are for! I saw you two making googly eyes at each other and let nature take its course. You love me, admit it."  
Tris looked toward Tobias, who flashed her one last smile before getting in his car. "Yeah, okay. I love you," she said, picking up Rambone and chucking it at her best friend.

**A/N:**

**My computer history was very questionable after writing this lol. **

**So, this is the last one I have written, for now. I don't plan on ever closing this story out, just adding to it as ideas come in. Right now though I'm very focused on the new story I'm writing. If you're interested in anything else I may write, you can follow me as an Author to receive an update when I post. I don't have an expected time frame, but I'm guessing in a month or so, give or take a few. I may even take a break to add to this one, so you never know! **

**Thank you for all the kind reviews, you guys are awesome. See you soon!**


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